I created this floral and mixed media installation for Art in Bloom 2015, at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. My inspiration piece was the 18th century Venetian Writing Desk (Gallery 308). I designed and built the container to replicate the desk, but chose recycled and repurposed materials to illustrate that art can be beautiful in many forms. My fresh flower choices are based on the painted flowers depicted on the desk panels.

I have always wondered what was inside the Venetian Writing Desk. How was it used? Did generations of ladies hid scandalous books or love notes in secret compartments? In my floral art I created a desk top to hold a stack of small books, an ink bottle filled with poppy seeds, writing quills made from reeds, and a love note in Italian. Another note is folded and sealed, waiting for the right moment to be slipped to a suitor’s palm.